Page 2 - Government jobs Indianapolis

That's Good HR Weekly News update - May 13, 2011

Wednesday, May 11, 2011 by Harry Danz

Great week for local and national news regarding hiring trends, the job market, the economy, local Indiana news and some good HR legal stuff. Be sure to at least take a moment to review the FAQ's in the first article if nothing else, for a quick refresher. You can never have too much review on even the most basic labor laws.
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Frequently Asked Questions: (HR People)Employment Labor Law: Really great FAQ's for some key HR issues.

Analysis: Will Costs Drive Firms Home?: (Wall Street Journal) A combination of forces—rapidly rising labor rates abroad, loftier materials and shipping costs, deep-discount tax incentives from U.S. states—are changing some of the calculations by which companies decide to move production abroad, or even keep what's there now.

Sitting Is Bad for You: What Can You Do About It at Work?: (Inc.) Recent studies suggest sitting for long periods of time is worse than you might think. Here are tips to help sedentary employees stay healthy.

Should You Hire an Overqualified Candidate?: (Harvard Business Review) As politicians and economists puzzle over America's jobless recovery, managers who have started to hire again face another problem: how to handle all the overqualified candidates coming through their doors. The prevailing wisdom is to avoid such applicants. But the unprecedented availability of top talent created by this recession and new research on the success of these candidates may be changing that.

Employment Law Updates - (Basic HR & Benefit Solutions) What employers need to know: The following is a general overview of some regulatory changes affecting employer HR practices.

Three Cases with Lessons for Employers: (Basic HR & Benefit Solutions) Giving a positive reference could cost millions, Hiring and promoting one gender over another is illegal, Allowing any type of music to be played on the job can create a hostile work environment.

Secretary of Labor Breaks Down the Numbers: (Recruiter.com) According to Ms. Solis’s statement, the uptick in unemployment (up to 9.0 percent in April from 8.8 the previous month) should be kept in perspective. keeping in mind “that unemployment had fallen a full percentage point over the previous four months.”

Top 5 Biggest Wins in 2011: By Kevin Brinegar, Indiana Chamber president. Long overdue education reforms, vital tax reductions to stimulate economic growth and common sense prevailing on illegal immigration represent the biggest victories of the 2011 legislative session.

America’s Labor Market - Perking Up – (Economist.com): Since the employment bottom in February of 2010, the economy has added 1.8m jobs and the private sector has added 2.1m. Most of those jobs were created in the past year, and about a third of them in the last three months.

That's Good HR Weekly News Update - May 5, 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011 by Harry Danz

Could it be? Is that the sun I saw making a appearance this week? If even for a minute, that is progress. BIG news week and I am going to spare you any stories about Bin Laden, as I am sure you have had your fill. Interesting to note, however, that a lot of other things of note were in the news this week. Here is a quick wrap up of some I found particularly relevent regarding Indianapolis careers, hiring trends, HR and staffing agencies. Enjoy!
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Hiring Starts to Pick Up Pace: According to the WSJ online, so far this year, small businesses have added roughly twice as many workers a month as they did in most of 2010, recent data show. Experts say small employers are cautiously ramping up as they gain confidence that business conditions and loan activity will hold steady or improve.

Are companies hiring the newest graduating class, or aren’t they? A recent survey from CareerBuilder suggests that recent college grads should try to stay optimistic. Recruiters might see if this thread of possibility holds strong this spring and summer. Read more at Recruiter.com.

Play Power: How to Turn Around Our Creativity Crisis: The division between work and play is a myth. If America is going to teach its youth to innovate, we need to unite the two. According to Newsweek, the United States is in a creativity crisis. TIME reports that today's students are less tolerant of ambiguity and have an aversion to complexity.

April 2011 Economic Briefing: A summary of the Indianapolis/Marion County economy from DevelopIndy

Fastest Growing Industry Also Well-Paid: Over the next decade, it’s predicted that the most rapid job creation will occur in the management, scientific, and technical consulting services industry. This field is expected to grow by 83 percent (more than 800,000 jobs) over the 2008–18 decade, which is both the fastest projected rate of growth and the largest expected job gain of all detailed industries.

The Secret of Higher Performance: How integrating employee engagement and strengths boosts both. Great information from Gallup.com.

A Sense of Disclosure: According to CFO.com, new 401(k) rules pose a challenge for small and midsize companies. CFOs at small and midsize companies should monitor new 401(k) plan disclosure requirements. There are several new or forthcoming rules, and one in particular — ERISA Section 404 (a)(5) — could cause headaches.

TGHR Weekly News Update - April 22, 2011

Thursday, April 21, 2011 by Harry Danz

That's Good HR came across several pertinant legal and industry news articles this week. Even I had to take a break from the executive recruiting desk to catch up on what is hot today. I was particularly interested in the article from the WSJ indicating that the second highest priority is finding the right talent for their organizations. Enjoy!
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New law bans firms from asking workers about their guns: (Important HR issue for your clients): Indiana employers won't be allowed to ask workers about guns and ammunition that they might have in their vehicles under a bill that Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed into law. Read more here...

SHRM Supports Plan to Keep Military Spouses Working: The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has thrown its support behind an initiative designed to create workplaces supportive of employees with connections to the military. Led by first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden on April 12, 2011, the program was announced in the East Room at the White House. Read more here...

From Staffing Industry Analyst: Survey: Employee Confidence Rises: Workers are becoming more optimistic about the job market, according to a quarterly employee confidence survey conducted and released last month by Glassdoor.com. Forty percent of workers believe it is "likely" they could find a new job matched to their experience and compensation levels within six months if they lost their current job. This was the highest level in the past six quarters for the employment confidence survey. Thirty-eight percent of respondents expect to leave their job for a new one in less than three years, 28 percent expect to do so in less than two years and 14 percent expect to do so in less than one year. Younger workers (18-34 years old) and single employees are more likely to seek out a new job within three years (56 percent each). This survey was conducted online within the United States from March 9-11, 2011. It included 2,045 adult workers. Visit the SIA website here...

Fed Reports U.S. Economy Continues to Improve: The Federal Reserve's latest report on regional economies (known as the "beige book") indicates that business conditions in the U.S. showed general improvement in late February and March. The manufacturing sector continued to lead economic gains across the 12 Federal Reserve districts, and business service activity was varied across the nation. Most districts reported improvements in labor market conditions. Many business contacts indicated they continued to prefer hiring temporary employees to meet increased demand due to persisting uncertainty about long-term economic conditions. From American Staffing Association

Administrative Professionals Day: April 27, 2011: Since 1952, the International Association of Administrative Professionals has honored office workers by sponsoring Administrative Professionals Week. Today, it is one of the largest workplace observances outside of employee birthdays and major holidays. Read more here...

Most CEOs Prize Growth, But Other Priorities Vary (from the Wall Street Journal): Chief executives have to juggle multiple priorities, but according to a recent study, they tend to rank some higher than others. Top of the list? Business growth followed by talent management and cost optimization, according to the Conference Board Inc., a nonprofit research organization. Of the 10 priorities that CEOs were invited to rank, business growth far outpaced all other challenges in the No. 1 spot. Read more here...

Anti-gay remarks aren’t part of religious accommodation: You’re used to the concept of religious accommodations for employees. Could that extend to accepting a worker’s using religion as a rationale for assaulting a co-worker with anti-gay invective? Read more here....

Review Hiring Procedures Before Screening Candidates: Many economists project increased hiring in 2011. This welcome forecast presents employers with an opportunity to revisit their screening practices, particularly in light of the activity of the Equal Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) in regard to credit and background checks. Read more here....

State's unemployment rate drops to 8.5 percent: Indiana’s unemployment rate continued its downward slide, dropping to 8.5 percent in March, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said Tuesday morning. Read more here...

Court clarifies employer rights for granting medical leave: The situation: A chronically absent employee takes yet another absence, even though he has no sick leave. Upon his return, you fire him. He says, “You can’t do that. I’m claiming federal family and medical leave.” Here’s what a federal court said about it. Read more here...

Department of Labor Issues Updated FLSA Regulations: Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule updating regulations issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Portal-to-Portal Act. The rule takes effect 30 days after publication. A summary of the key provisions included in the updated regulations can be found here...

Navigating "Cultural Fit"

Tuesday, March 8, 2011 by Karen Seketa

I have recently been working on an internal project around hiring trends in Indianapolis that has me pondering one of the key factors that really differentiates That's Good HR from the "staffing world at large". Cultural Fit - that obscure business buzzword that has become a

requirement to filling most any Indianapolis job opening these days. How do we begin to understand, identify and capture this vague requirement and then successfully match a person to said "culture"? And why does it even matter so much?

On my quest for clarity, here is a bit of what I discovered:

One source that dates all the way back to 2007 still rings true with the following observation:

"In any size company, in almost any industry, in any location, culture plays a significant role in both attracting and keeping great talent. When hiring employees, hiring managers have a major responsibility to ensure that each person they “invite to the card game” and introduce into their group has been effectively screened for both their ability to perform their job and their cultural fit within the organization."

This post makes an analogy of cultural fit as it compares the concept to the weekly "poker game" where a set group of acquaintances gather regularly to play cards and where there is a mutual understanding of the rules and the expected behavior. When someone new joins the group, they too must understand the environment, the expectations, the rules AND they have to be willing and interested in joining under the terms of the "culture". Without agreement on both sides, the relationship is doomed.

This is where I think people get confused about cultural fit. It is not a one way street where the company picks the candidate who passes the "cultural fit" test. Many times, it is the candidate who picks the company based upon their personal cultural fit requirements. So, where do we go wrong most of the time? It is when you find the ideal candidate with the perfect skill set and experience and you alter your representation of the culture in order to fit the peg into the hole. The match is made, the employee comes to work and within a month, both parties wonder why it is not working out and many times, part on not such good terms. Money, time and energy wasted based on an avoidable mistake.

As a hiring company, you should never design the story around your culture based on what the perfect candidate wants to hear and job candidates should never sacrifice their own cultural requirements just to get the job unless they plan to live in harmony with the consequences. Compromise is a short term fix to the problem - the company gets a qualified person to fill a seat and the candidate gets a job. Long term, everyone loses and usually at a very high cost on both ends.

There is a great post on Fistful of Talent that does a colorful job of illustrating this point. This post takes a "tongue in cheek" look at the reality of what cultural fit means by taking a look at hiring for the DMV. While I am not in agreement of the full analogy, the story it tells is compelling. Here is what they have to say:

"Cultural Fit is hard to describe for most folks. A company can have a culture that most observers say is “good,” but that doesn’t mean that all qualified candidates will be a good fit. And if you’re looking for an organization that gets hiring for cultural fit perfectly? I would suggest looking at… nope, not Netflix, not Google, not Target… look at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Surprised? Think about it for a second."

At That's Good HR, we have developed a knack for understanding the culture of the company, department or office where our candidates are going to potentially be working BEFORE we even take the first step in making the match. It is not rocket science, although we would like to believe that it is an acquired and very valuable skill. It is not magic, but there is some mystery and intuition that goes into developing both customer AND candidate relationships to the level of being able to really "get it" when it comes to understanding the culture. Working with placing candidates in federal government positions, this becomes critically important so we have spent years developing a true understanding of the culture and we are constantly reviewing our understanding to keep it current and relevant.

To further illustrate the impact of understanding cultural fit in the workplace, it is interesting to note that one of the most relevant articles I found in my research on this topic is global...this one comes from Australia and it is very applicable right here in the US. I encourage you to take a look at the business case it offers...good stuff.

At the end of the day (another key overused business buzz phrase) be true to yourself, as cliche as that might sound. If you choose not to, as the client or the candidate, be ready to maintain the facade for as long as you want the relationship to stay alive....sounds a little like dating, doesn't it?

What Will Show Up On Your Background Check?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 by Lisa Minter

With eight out of ten hiring officials in Central Indiana jobs conducting background checks, it is vital to know what may show up on yours.

Employers are running checks that range from a basic criminal check for those applying for entry level jobs, Indianapolis part time jobs and administrative jobs in Indianapolis to nationwide criminal and credit checks for those applying for finance and accounting jobs, Indianapolis executive jobs or six-figure jobs in Indianapolis and an even more intensive background check, including interviewing previous neighbors, previous drug use, etc. for those applying for Federal Government Contract jobs in Indianapolis.

Even more important than knowing what may show up on your background is that you disclose this to Executive Headhunters or any hiring official in Central Indiana jobs. You may have a conviction that meets an employer’s criteria but if you have not disclosed this, that is considered falsifying your application.

There is valuable information found at The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Before you begin your Indianapolis career search, take the following steps to reduce the chances that you and/or the potential employer will be "surprised" by information found in the background check process:

Order a copy of your credit report. If there is something you do not recognize or that you disagree with, dispute the information with the creditor and/or credit bureau before you have to explain it to the interviewer. Another individuals name may appear on your credit report. This happens when someone mistakenly writes down the wrong Social Security number on a credit application causing that name to appear on your file. Or you might be a victim of identity theft. (See PRC Fact Sheet 6 on your credit reporting rights, www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs6-crdt.htm, and Fact Sheet 17a on identity theft, www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm.)

Check court records. If you have an arrest record or have been involved in court cases, go to the county where this took place and inspect the files. Make sure the information is correct and up to date.

Reporting agencies often report felony convictions when the consumer truly believes the crime was reduced to a misdemeanor, or that it was reported as a misdemeanor conviction when the consumer thought the charge was reduced to an infraction. Court records are not always updated correctly. For example, a signature that was needed to reduce the charges might not have been obtained or recorded by the court. Don't rely on what your attorney may have told you. If you think the conviction was expunged or dismissed, get a certified copy of your report from the court. For an explanation of expungement, visit www.epic.org/privacy/expungement.

Check DMV records. Request a copy of your driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles, especially if you are applying for a job that involves driving.

Many employers ask on their application if you were ever convicted of a crime. Or they might word the question to ask whether you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. Typically, the application says you do not have to divulge a case that was expunged or dismissed, or that was a minor traffic violation.

Don't be confused. A DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while intoxicated) conviction is not considered a minor traffic infraction. Applicants with a DUI or DWI who have not checked "yes" on a job application may be denied employment for falsifying the form -- even when the incident occurred only once or happened many years before. The employer perceives this as dishonesty, even though the applicant might only have been confused by the question.

Do your own background check. If you want to see what an employer's background check might uncover, hire a company that specializes in such reports to conduct one for you. That way, you can discover if the data bases of information vendors contain er
roneous or misleading information. (Consult the Yellow Pages under "Investigators.") Or, you can use one of the many online search services to find out what an employer would learn if conducting a background check in this way.

Read the fine print carefully. When you sign a job application, you will be asked to sign a consent form if a background check is conducted. Read this statement carefully and ask questions if the authorization statement is not clear. Unfortunately, job seekers are in an awkward position, since refusing to authorize a background check may jeopardize the chances of getting the job.

These steps can help eliminate a costly (and even embarrassing) mistake in your Indianapolis job search!

The Office Holiday Party Do's & Don't's

Tuesday, November 30, 2010 by Lisa Minter

We thought this would be a good time to repost this great blog post from our HR Manager - good advice as we embark on the "Holiday party" season!

We all have stories of company holiday parties past that have transgressed into the stuff of HR Nightmares. My own particular favorite memory (or lack thereof) was after just starting with an Indianapolis staffing company and talking to a complete stranger about the transgressions of a co-worker. I later found out that the stranger was my co-worker's husband. True story-unfortunately. This was my first holiday party experience as I was just embarking on my Indianapolis staffing and HR career.

Whatever you need to know about office holiday parties can be summed up using Season 2, Episode 10 of The Office, Christmas Party as a resource. DO EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE!

This year, more than ever, it is important for Indianapolis staffing companies and all Central Indiana jobs to celebrate surviving a bad economic year and your company’s successes but keep in mind there is liability for employers and employees in not setting some ground rules.

If you are in a management position in Indianapolis, this is a chance to build employee morale or, conversely, to lose the respect of your employees. For employees from those in six figure jobs to administrative jobs in Indianapolis, you can take advantage of the office party to have some fun and advance your career or misbehave and cripple your career. Here are some basic rules to survive and thrive at any company-sponsored party.

Monitor alcohol consumption: For employers, you have liability if an employee drives home and is involved in an accident, is injured at the party or causes damage to the facility where you are holding your party. Employees and Employers: keep in mind this is a company event and how you handle yourself is not only being observed but will be remembered.

Attire: Don’t pull out your nightclub attire for an office party. The party is still a business function, so conservative party clothes are a good choice. Remember to skip anything too revealing or too flashy.

Don't Let Your Guard Down: People tend to relax a little too much at office parties. When relaxed, we let our guards down and reveal things about ourselves we don't want our co-workers to know.

Keep your Hands to Yourself: Don’t put the beer goggles on and start hitting on your employees or co-workers. This leads to disastrous results and damages your reputation not to mention the liability of harassment claims.

Mix & A Mingle (like the song says): Don’t just hang out the entire time with the same people you interact with every single day. This is an opportunity to socialize and network with many different employees or co-workers including those in six figure jobs, HR, Administrative or Accounting & Finance people or those who can advance your career or make your job easier and more rewarding.

What is your most memorable company holiday party disaster? Let us know. We would love to laugh (or commiserate) with you!

Happy Holidays!

Virtual Harassment

Friday, November 5, 2010 by Lisa Minter

In May, I posted a blog about how social media has taken Indianapolis staffing companies, executive headhunters and most anyone in Central Indiana jobs by storm. Sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube and Twitter offer employers, employees and job seekers opportunities to network, advertise and promote themselves and has become one of the biggest hiring trends to advertise Central Indiana jobs and Indianapolis job openings. It has also opened up the door to many employment law issues.

Social media has transitioned the job of many HR professionals and those in management positions in Indianapolis to creating updated policies and addressing sexual harassment claims stemming from the misuse of social media.

Many of us in HR jobs in Indianapolis have created policies prohibiting sexual and other harassment. Before the age of technology, harassment was much easier to identify and would consist of gestures such as a lingering hug, sexually suggestive comments or a loud obscene joke in the workplace.

Times have changed and so has the outlet for harassment. In today's culture of constant and instant communication, the opportunity for potentially harassing actions is there 24/7 at the click of a button. Even though many actions may take place outside of normal business hours, that doesn't mean the employer is not responsible for addressing these situations. This puts employers AND employees at risk.

Companies who have not outlined a clear policy are escalating their risk and employees who may think forwarding a joke by email or text or posting something on Facebook is innocent, may find themselves facing disciplinary action or termination. Some employees may think their jokes or actions are harmless but in reality their behavior could be considered harassing. This does not just apply to those in management positions in Indianapolis but to any employee at any level from those in six figure jobs government or administrative jobs.

Companies need to have a clear policy as to what constitutes sexual harassment and must enforce and follow this policy consistently. Even though the methods for potential sexual harassment have changed, those in HR jobs in Indianapolis should still handle these situations the same. The EEOC website provides helpful information.

Employees should think before posting a blog, a message on Facebook, sending a text message or email to a co-worker. Always treat these messages as if they were public. Taking measures to avoid communication that could be interpreted as harassment could save your career and reputation.

Watch How Fast I Can Run With This Stick...

Tuesday, September 21, 2010 by Karen Seketa

I know that my title triggers an immediate response from all of the parents out there and

memories from all of us as kids. Admit it, you are cringing a little bit because we all know it is not safe to run with a stick. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a parent yell "don't run with that stick, you are going to poke an eye out!", I would be rich.

I, however, feel like I am already rich because when my son made this very declaration recently during a walk in the woods it brought some perspective for me that might take years of therapy for others to find. Here we were, having an awesome relaxing weekend at the farm, leisurely walking through the woods with the kids and what was I doing? Thinking about work. I was thinking about hiring trends and Indianapolis staffing. No lie. I was carrying a metaphoric stick that was heavy to carry and it was keeping me from enjoying life in the moment. Not to say I don't love thinking about central Indiana jobs and government jobs in Indianapolis, as these things are important to my work. However, that is what I dedicate myself to Monday-Friday. On the weekend, it is time to have a stick light enough to run with.

As I observed Nate in his "farm weekend" camouflage attire, topped off with the coon skin hat, running and ducking and hiding in the grass, pretending to be tracking his prey with his stick gun, I realized that I needed to lighten up a little. I had the urge to grab a stick and run with him- even if it was just metaphorically. So that is exactly what I did and when I came back to work on Monday, we had a project of enormous proportion come our way and I was able to give it 110%.

These are the moments that prepare us to face the week ahead. We are obligated to give it our all at work - that is why we are paid to be there. It is up to us to take the time to recharge our batteries so we can do our best. When I show up at work on Monday, I don't want to feel like it is Wednesday because I spent the whole weekend worrying about work. I want to be enthusiastic and ready to go. I owe that to my employer. I think sometimes we forget that when we receive that paycheck, those benefits and the experience and training we get from our jobs, we owe our employers something in return. The value we receive from our employer deserves that value in our work product in return, at a minimum.

If you are currently engaged in an Indianapolis job search, keep this in mind as you are exploring your opportunities and choose the right opportunity for you that allows you to run with that stick and recharge your batteries and also provides you with a place to work where you want to give it your all.

Valuable Lessons for those in Central Indiana Jobs

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by Lisa Minter

I recently attended the Indiana State Human Resources Conference and learned a lot of great things.

There seemed to be a recurring theme throughout all the sessions I attended which I think is valuable for employees and employers alike: we have been through (and are still experiencing) very tough economic times. Central Indiana jobs have been eliminated, employees in entry level jobs in Indianapolis to those in six figure jobs in Indianapolis are expected to do more and morale is low. It is time for employers and employees to reengage with each other and become excited about their jobs and the companies they work for. Companies have been so focused on the bottom line and employees on protecting their jobs they we have forgotten about trusting and respecting each other.

Libby Sartain, who worked for Southwest Airlines and Yahoo! spoke about this topic at the Conference. Sartain’s message was that the success companies experience is not the result of one person or one executive, it is the result of everyone. Employees are looking for opportunities that ignite their creativity but also bring balance to their lives and HR professionals are searching every day for "stars" to contribute to this environment.

Sartain says people want challenging work. They want to make a difference. They want to have fun. They want a sense of community -- and community involvement. They want to take occasional time off to spend with friends and family.

Employees want you to outline their role and what it means. They want to know what success means for them and the organization.

Employees and employers both need to be effective communicators. Communication gets projects done. And you have to communicate the meaning of what you do time and time again.

This is a great message for all central Indiana employers in addition to those employees entering an Indianapolis job search or searching for career opportunities. The focus should be on companies who embrace putting trust and value in their employees. At That's Good HR, we make sure that before we place our candidates on a job, we learn as much as we can about the company, the culture, the job and the expectations. This way, our employees have the best chance to go in and put their best foot forward right away. To learn more about Central Indiana job opportunities, visit our website at www.thatsgoodhr.com.

What Does Health Care Reform Mean for Employers & Employees?

Friday, September 3, 2010 by Lisa Minter

Whether you are for it or against it, Health Care Reform is here. As a Human Resources Manager for an Indianapolis staffing company, the details of this bill have me scratching my head. This leaves many Indianapolis staffing companies and Benefits Managers and those in Executive jobs and Finance jobs in Indianapolis trying to sort it all out.

It also has those employees working in Federal Government Contract jobs in Indianapolis, those in Indianapolis part time jobs, those in administrative jobs in Indianapolis, executive jobs or six figure jobs in Indianapolis and many employees working in central Indiana jobs wondering how this affects them.

If you Google Health Care Reform, you will find yourself with more questions than answers.

Outlined below are the basics of the Health Care Bill, which I found on Personal Money.com. I have found this helpful in sorting out the basics of the bill

2010

There are 3 major changes for this year. First, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to children with pre-existing illnesses. Second, children would be able to stay on their parent's insurance until they are twenty-six and third, Medicare recipients who fall into a specific coverage gap will get a $250 rebate.

Other changes for 2010 include individuals who have not had health insurance for 6 months will receive a subsidy to enroll in high-risk insurance pools run by the states. All new insurance plans sold must exempt preventative care and screenings from deductibles and small businesses with fewer than 25 employees would receive up to a 35 percent tax credit for providing health insurance to their employees.

2011

In 2011, the new health care bill will make changes focused mostly on preparing for later updates. The new health care bill will set up a long-term care insurance program. Individuals who pay premiums into this system for at least five years will become eligible to receive support with daily living assistance.

The senior citizens that fall into the

2012-13

No major changes will occur in health care in the year 2012 under the new health care bill. In 2013, many of the new taxes and fees that will pay for the new health care bill will go into effect. This will provide funding for the 2014 fiscal year updates to the health care system.

These taxes will include new Medicare taxes on individuals who earn more than $200,000 a year. The wage tax, dividends and interest tax, and a small tax on medical devices will also be implemented. In 2013, the new health care bill will also implement a test system in Medicare in which payments are made based on the quality, rather than quantity of health care services. Health insurers will also be barred from charging different premiums to customers based on gender.

2014

In 2014, the majority of Americans will gain benefits from the new health care bill. Exchanges will be created so individuals without employer-provided health care or small business can shop for health care coverage

In addition to providing subsidies and guaranteed coverage for most citizens, the new health care bill will also require that most people have health insurance. There will be a fine for not carrying insurance of some sort. An independent Medicare board will also be created to help curb Medicare costs if the costs rise more quickly than inflation.

"medicare donut hole" – a coverage gap – will get a 50 percent discount on some drugs. In 2011, a new fee on drug makers will also be implemented to help pay for the upcoming changes. The fine on withdrawing funds from a Health Savings Account for non-medical expenses will increase by 5 to 10 percent. Employers will also need to start including the cost of health care on employee’s W-2 forms.– and insurance companies will be barred from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions. Medicare will also expand to cover all Americans with income up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level ( about $27,000 per year for a family of 4). Small businesses will also receive a tax credit to help them provide coverage to their employees. The insurance industry will also be required to pay an annual fee to help pay for the exchanges that will cover all citizens that cannot otherwise receive insurance.

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

In 2015, the new health care bill will simply continue the new coverage, taxes and fees that are created in previous years. In 2016, the penalty for individuals who do not purchase health insurance will rise to a $695 minimum. In 2017, businesses that have more than 100 employees will be allowed to participate in the state insurance exchanges, if the state government allows it. In 2018, an excise tax will be imposed on so-called "Cadillac plans" that generally provide more than $27,500 worth of coverage for a family.

There are many changes coming up in the years ahead but it's important for Indianapolis Staffing companies and all Central Indiana employers to start proactively planning for these now!

Fired over Facebook

Thursday, August 26, 2010 by Lisa Minter

I have talked in previous blogs about the legal and public relations issues for Indianapolis staffing companies and managers in Central Indiana jobs regarding social media.

This week in the news, there was a story of a waitress in North Carolina who was fired after posting a negative comment aimed at customers who came into the restaurant, spent several hours, forcing the waitress to work over her quit time and left a $5 tip.

The employer said the comment violated a policy against saying disparaging things about customers.
This isn't the only time Facebook has landed employees in the unemployment office, and it probably won't be the last.

According to Proofpoint, an Internet security firm:

· 15 percent of employers have disciplined an employee for violating multimedia sharing / posting policies

· 13 percent of US companies investigated an exposure event involving mobile or Web-based short message services

· 17 percent disciplined an employee for violating blog or message board policies

Employers in Central Indiana jobs are more closely monitoring social media sites, yet employees continue to not use common sense when posting about work life, either by sharing sensitive corporate details, or simply by making foolish remarks about their employer.

While all employees, including those in entry level jobs, federal government jobs, administrative jobs in Indianapolis and those who work for Indianapolis staffing companies, have the right to freedom of expression, it comes with a price. The Internet is the "information highway", and like most highways it is traveled by the public. You may be jeopardizing your Indianapolis career or many prospective job opportunities in Indianapolis by what your have posted on Facebook or other social media sites.

It all comes back to a few simple guidelines: Employers need to have a clear policy surrounding social media and employees need to think before they post.

A police & fire dispatcher in Wisconsin was fired after she thought she could joke about drug addiction on line.

Another employee complained about being bored at work. Coworkers tattled, and she lost her job for the complaint.

Bringing Home the $$$ in a Recession

Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Amber Crosby

Everyone wants to make more money and a look back through our 10 year history only encourages that thought. Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about salary and pay so I thought I would post a few thoughts regarding this issue.

The question I get most often would be: The position pays less than what I was making, should I consider it? My advice: Stay open minded but evaluate thoroughly.

Ask yourself these questions to help guide you through this question:

1. Is the position one you desire - for reasons other than monetary value?

2. Is the company one you would be proud to say you work for?

3. Does the culture and environment seem like a good fit?

4. Are you unemployed or about to be laid off/downsized?

5. Is this company in an industry that's stable or even growing?

If you answered yes for two or more of these questions then my advice would be to strongly consider the offer even though it's less than you were making. As an Indianapolis staffing recruiter with That's Good HR I have met many people over the past year who have been affected by the recession. This may come in the form of them being downsized, their hours cut, mandatory pay cuts or being put on furlough. You have to think about the reality that when these companies are starting to recover from the recession, they may not be able to afford what they once could in terms of salaries and benefit packages. If companies were forced to institute a mandatory 10% pay cut, they can’t make an offer for a new employee that would be more than the employee that stayed and took the 10% pay cut. Some companies are looking more closely at their numbers and figuring out exactly what they can pay employees in order to maintain their business, even if it means they are less competitive than they once were.

I would encourage you to look at more than the money in a time of economic recovery. Even if it’s less pay, the benefits of the position, the learning experience, growth potential and just overall being happy with your career should make up for the loss of salary. Besides, if you are really that good at what you do, it will just be a matter of patiently demonstrating your competence and proving your worth and it will come back to you in the long run.

Smart People, Economic Recovery and Hope

Thursday, May 20, 2010 by Karen Seketa

I am an advocate of continued learning. Take advantage of any opportunity you have to enrich your scope of knowledge. I mean, how can it hurt to learn more about those things you might not quite understand if you have the chance? One way I do this is by listening to people much smarter than I am whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Based on my occupation and obvious interest in Central Indiana jobs and hiring trends, I recently attended the "Racing to the Summit" event sponsored by the Indiana polis Private Industry Council. The Keynote speaker at the event was Richard Karlgaard, Publisher and Columnist for Forbes magazine. Richard is also the author of the book Life 2.0. His presentation was about innovations to save your company and career, but he also provided a very clear and basic overview of the recent recession. I appreciated his delivery about the economy in layman's terms so that even I (an Econ Major from 20 years ago who has been in HR for my whole career) could understand. I found it comforting when he made a comparison of the recent recession to the recession of the early 70's. This made me feel a little better about our situation, as it reminded me that we have been through this before and we came out of it okay. Surely we have learned a lot since that time and would again emerge intact, right?

In Richard's point of view, companies that will do well in the recovery are doing three critical things:

Looking at Technology/innovation differently
Looking at new ways of doing business
Viewing the customer differently

In a word, companies who can see that things are changing will do well, those who continue to do business in the same way will not fare so well. As key examples, he noted that the following start ups emerged from the ashes of the recession of the early 70's. FedEx, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Apple, Oracle and Genentech were just a few.

Karlgaard also offered a few key points (among many that he has come up with) that are going to be important for companies (across all industries) to succeed going forward.

They will have to be really great at Design (in a product or a service). This has to be fundamental to the way they work, not just an "add on".
Speed. Putting the right product or service into the customers hands when they really want or need it. Those who delay will lose.
Cost. Where to cut so you don't cut into your design or your speed.
Supply Chain Mastery
Sense of Purpose. Building trust in your institution, having an intact reputation built on purpose and a moral foundation.

This put my mind at ease, as I know we can, as a society, do these things and that we at That's Good HR can do these things. The only point that caused some unease was around Education. Karlgaard stated what I think we all already know - until and unless we fix our educational systems, we, as a country, will remain behind. But that is another blog for another day.

So, what does all of this have to do with Indianapolis Staffing or Hiring Trends? Everything...just like it has everything to do with whatever business you might be in. So I urge you to go out and find really smart people to listen to and learn from now and then. You don't have to agree with them, just listen. Let me know what you learn.

Beware the Shady Recruiter

Tuesday, May 18, 2010 by Stacy Rouse

I had a situation recently that really caught me off guard. Late one afternoon we received a couple of federal government contract jobs that were very specific in nature. So specific that I am certain there are only a handful of people in Indiana that even come close to qualifying for the position. From the time I left the office that evening until approximately 9am the next morning, I had received 3 e-mails from candidates

of mine who had received the information for the position in an e-mail from another recruiting firm. I thought this was a little weird, so I followed up with a couple of them and found out that this firm (which none of them had ever heard of) had apparently mined their e-mail address from the resume they had posted on the job boards and sent a mass e-mail with everyone on the Bcc: line. In not so many words, the e-mail basically stated that if the candidate was interested in the position they just needed to respond back with their most recent resume attached and the recruiting firm would present their information for the position. Keep in mind that none of these people had ever met with, let alone spoken to any individuals from this company. So let's recap. A recruiter received a job description, did a keyword search online (probably on a job board or LinkedIN), sent a mass e-mail to a large group of candidates that somehow matched the keywords, and waited on candidates to respond. I really hope that nobody just responded with their resume and said "Thanks for the information and yes, please submit me." If so, those people need a lesson in talking to strangers. It's obvious that the firm was not considering the best interest of the candidate or the client if they were willing to blindly submit candidates like that. Clients deserve better screening than that and candidates deserve more attention than that.

Does anyone else see the warning signs here? Why would you want an Indianapolis staffing firm representing you in a possible career move who has never spoken with you or met you? How do they know enough about you to know if you are a good fit for their Indianapolis job opening? How do you know enough about the company and the potential opportunity to know if it is the right fit for your Indianapolis job search? ANSWER: They don't and neither do you. So my advice is obvious and something we've all heard a thousand times before...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. How could it really be so easy that you just respond back to an e-mail and then your information is submitted for a position? It's obvious that the firm was not considering the best interest of the candidate or the client if they were willing to blindly submit candidates like that. Clients deserve better screening than that and candidates deserve more attention than that. Just read my collegues previous post on "Cultural Fit" to see a bit of what I mean here.

If they are spending that little amount of time in presenting you for the position, can you imagine how little time you would get if you are actually selected for the interview? At That's Good HR we are very serious about our process of meeting with every candidate face to face that we may potentially be representing for any of our Indianapolis job openings. It gives us the perfect opportunity to make sure we fully understand where the candidate is coming from, where they want to go with their career, and all of the details in between. It also give us a good insight into how that candidate will perform in an interview with one of our clients. If great recruiting and retention of candidates and clients was as easy as throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks, there would be a lot more companies out there to compete against. But the truth is, that strategy rarely works and it certainly isn't a sustainable strategy for successfully surviving in this industry.

So who do you want working for you in your Indianapolis job search? One that cares about you and the client or the ones that only care about their own revenue? If you want to know more about That's Good HR and the high quality services we provide, visit our website and specifically a very simple statement that we call our Refreshing Integrity Promise.

Retention & Hiring Trends in a Recovering Economy

Monday, April 12, 2010 by Lisa Minter

As Central Indiana companies are celebrating an economic rebound, it is vital for companies to plan for growth. This will affect companies not only in increased revenues but also in employee turnover as the Central Indiana job market grows. If you are an employee exploring Indianapolis job openings, it is important to research Central Indiana jobs that offer the benefits that are important to you.

A recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey revealed that turnover will rise significantly once the job market improves. Human Resource and Management felt that the job market will improve within the next year, according to the latest Job Recovery Survey.

The most common hiring trends in recruiting and retention strategies are competitive salary, competitive vacation and holidays and tuition reimbursement. Recruiting the right employees for Central Indiana jobs and keeping the right employees are key. Select the right people in the first place through behavior-based testing and competency screening. The right person, in the right seat, on the right bus is the starting point. Indianapolis Staffing companies, such as That's Good HR, can play a valuable role in matching the right candidate with the right Central Indiana job!

Below are some common-sense recruiting and retention tips. These have been hard to find in companies over the last several years, as companies struggled to stay alive, but can result in a great return in happy and productive employees.

· Offer an attractive, competitive, benefits package with components such as life insurance, disability insurance and flexible hours.

· Provide opportunities for people to share their knowledge via training sessions, presentations, mentoring others and team assignments.

· Demonstrate respect for employees at all times. Listen to them deeply; use their ideas; never ridicule or shame them.

· Offer performance feedback and praise good efforts and results.

· People want to enjoy their work. Make work fun. Engage and employ the special talents of each individual.

· Involve employees in decisions that affect their jobs and the overall direction of the company whenever possible.

· Recognize and celebrate success. Mark their passage as important goals are achieved.

· Celebrate! Have a costume party every Halloween, have pitch-ins, celebrate company anniversaries.

· Team together for good causes. Run a food collection drive every November. Pick a monthly charity to help.

· Provide opportunities within the company for cross-training and career progression. People like to know that they have room for career movement.

· Provide the opportunity for career and personal growth through training and education, challenging assignments and more.

· Communicate goals, roles and responsibilities so people know what is expected and feel like part of the in-crowd.

If you are a Central Indiana employer, what are your top recruiting and retention strategies?

If you are an employee who wants to make a job change, what is important to you?

The Lost Art of the "Thank you" Note

Thursday, April 1, 2010 by Mary Springer

I do not interview candidates for job opportunities as much as I used to. My role at That's Good HR

has changed many times through the years and I currently focus more on business development and customer service delivery. However, one key responsibility that I will always have is to proactively identify key talent for our organization as we grow and change. In that role, I do interview internal candidates for our Indianapolis staffing company so when we are looking to hire I have an available talent pool to choose from. Obviously, in the last year and a half, with the tough economic times, we have not been aggressively looking to add to staff but finally in Q1 this year our 2009 cost containment and business development activities show our internal hiring trends looking up.

I have been conducting more interviews recently and through this process I realized that I must be old school and things have changed. I never appreciated how important receiving thank you notes was after an interview until I no longer received them. I have interviewed many candidates lately for various positions and I received only one hand written "thank you note." Should I take it personally?

This simple step makes a significant impact and I must admit that when I do not receive a Thank you note I scratch my head and wonder about that candidate. I do not throw a candidate out of the running if I do not receive a thank you note but when I do it puts that candidate ahead in my book. I guess I am trying to figure out whether thank you notes went out of style and I didn't get the memo or, have people just chosen not to take the time to sit down for 10 minutes to express gratitude whether they want the job or not?

I am sure through the years I have forgotten to write a thank you note when receiving a gift or getting asked to an event, but I do make a concerted effort to express my gratitude. I have been writing thank you notes since I learned how to write by my mother and grandmother. Maybe it is just not as important these days with everyone being so busy and the technology that we have but I can honestly say it means a lot to me.

I did some research on the subject just to see how old fashioned I had really become and I was pleasantly surprised to see that my expectations are not that far off the mark. Whether you are seeking an administrative job or a six figure job through an Indianapolis staffing company or on your own, the expectation is that you follow the basic rules of etiquette. One article I found on About.com, states the following:

"Writing a thank you letter (or email) after an employment interview is a must. In fact, some employers think less of those interviewees who fail to follow-up promptly."

This site and others also provide guidance on how to write a Thank you note and even provides some sample notes. So, if your mother or grandmother did not teach you t

he basics of the Thank you note like mine, do a little research and you will find all kinds of resources at your fingertips. If that does not work, drop me a line and I will be happy to help as long as you promise to thank me.

Now, That's Good HR!

What does it mean to be the BEST?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by Karen Seketa

That's Good HR recently earned a place on the Inavero 2010 Best of Staffing list. This prestigious recognition comes with a cool designation AND you get to be on an actual "list"- but really, what does it all mean to this Indianapolis staffing firm? It seems that there are lists for everything these days and we all know that you can do anything you want to with statistics. Heck, the whole country became masters at statistical manipulation over the past year of recession, crummy hiring trends and economic misery. Anything to make things look better, right?

So, what does being the "Best in Staffing" mean and why should you care? Great question - I am glad you asked. There were a number of factors that went into our interest in participating in this particular survey, the most important being the use of a 3rd party administrator to ensure the integrity of the data.

The second important factor was the requirement that the survey was sent to EVERY customer with whom we did business over the past 12 months. Not just the happy customers, ALL of them. No scrubbing of the list allowed. We opened ourselves up for feedback of all kinds including the good, the bad AND the ugly. Otherwise, why bother, right? We pretty much know what we are doing well, but we do not necessarily know what we do that our customers are not so excited about.

We also loved that the survey was EASY for our customers to complete. Three easy questions that got right to the point, with an opportunity to provide comments if they wanted to. The last thing our customers need from us is more work to do - so the easier, the better.

Finally, we love WHAT this survey actually measures. If you are familiar with Net Promoter Scores (NPS), you know that there is no room for "maybe" in this score. Either your customers would enthusiastically refer you to their friends or colleagues or they would not...Simple as that. The score is rated on a 1-10 scale and only a 9 or 10 earns you with a "positive promoter" score. The rest are either passive or demoters. I like this because it forces the survey taker to commit. Sort of committing does not do you any good and telling you they would not refer you says a lot.

The average Net Promoter Score for the staffing industry is 41%. Not a great statistic. Anyone who has participated in an Indianapolis job search knows that working with a staffing company should make your search easier, not harder, but that is not always the case. At That's Good HR, our socks were knocked off when we received our personal Net Promoter Score of over 85%! Okay, that is a cool statistic, but again I ask - what is it that our customers are so happy about?

The customers who were surveyed in this specific survey overwhelming stated that winners of this distinction consistently demonstrate the 5 following attributes:

We provide immediate and honest communication
We serve as a staffing partner, not just a vendor
We provide strategic staffing solutions, not just order filling
We make sure candidates fit the organizational culture
We provide exceptional account management

I have to tell you, we feel pretty good about all of this and it seems our customers do too. It is important to take a critical look at the services you are providing on a regular basis to make sure that you are living up not only to your customers expectations, but your own. This survey also provided comments that offered constructive feedback on the things we could do better and we feel that is the most important part of the survey. The opportunity to improve our services based on real honest feedback is priceless. Now, THAT'S Good HR.

NOT a blog post about the Winter Olympics

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Karen Seketa

I have to admit, it was really hard not to capitalize on the topic of the day and make an

analogy between Indianapolis job openings or hiring trends and the Olympics. I came so very close to doing exactly that and then I stopped myself as so many others have already done that this month and with what I am sure is much more finesse than I could muster.

Instead, I am going to capture and maintain your interest by talking about how cool it is to be part of an industry that a recent survey says actually saves companies money. The staffing industry has historically not always been associated with the most positive press and we have, indeed, been the victim of a few bad apples on more than one occasion. Hiring trends over the past year have made it a true challenge to be in the Indianapolis staffing industry, but those of us who kept the seat belt on (and it was pretty tight, let me tell you) and made it through the rough ride, it is nice to come out on the other end with a little bit of positive news about this business we love so much.

I recently reviewed a study published by Staffing Industry Analysts that indicates the following Key Findings:

There is near unanimous agreement among contingent staffing buyers that the use of contingent labor saves money—92% reported so.

Now, this is not a cool industry to be in only because there is current good news from the economics of working with our company. The fact that during a time when each and every day people who are still feeling the sting of 2009, looking for work, trying to find their way back to where they were both personally and financially a year ago, we make job matches every day and that is pretty cool. Every interview, introduction and placement - be it temporary or direct hire - that we make, means a difference in a person's life; and don't think that a day goes by that we do not recognize that fact.

Sure, commerce is for profit, we are all here to make a living and without making money our doors would have closed as they did for many less fortunate Indianapolis staffing companies last year. I challenge you to ask anyone who has been in this crazy business for as long as I have what their top three reasons are for staying in this industry and money will not rank in the top three...maybe four, but not in the top three.

Some of the press is confusing (imagine that) and we are not sure how to feel. One article in the New York Times states a positive correlation between increased temp usage and impending increases in hiring trends. The next week we are looking at this data not necessarily meaning what we thought it did, as stated in this Forbes article that does not see the increase in full time hiring following the growth of temporary hiring anytime soon.

As I stated in an earlier blog post, you need to "stop where you are, consider the information at hand and sort through what is relevant to your own personal situation and you do your very best to use it effectively". Right now, I am going to use the good news circulating about our industry to post blogs such as this one to spread the word.

Up in the Air

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 by Cathleen Litz

Up in the Air just won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay. While Up in the Air is a great movie and highly recommended, it is especially relevant given the economic events of the last year. While some of the trailers depict it as being a love story, it is really a social commentary about valuing meaningful relationships.

Geo

rge Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, is essentially a "Corporate Firer". Companies hire Ryan to conduct mass lay offs of their employees. Ryan's life is void of relationships. He lives out of a suitcase and one of his main goals in life is to join the 10 million mile club. When a recent Ivy League grad threatens Ryan's position by implementing a program to expedite the firing process via Skype, Ryan has to deal with the possibility of being grounded.

So what does the message in the movie Up in the Air have to do with Indianapolis staffing or Executive Recruiting? I will tell you, one of the reasons I work for That's Good HR is due to the company's value of building personal relationships. So many other Indianapolis recruiters conduct their business over the phone or via email and rarely meet their clients or candidates in person. Guiding candidates through the job search process is a very personal and sensitive process. Meeting with candidates and getting to know their work experience, job search criteria and personalities is critical and you can only scratch the surface of these issues absent a personal relationship.

Some staffing agencies may eventually resort to interviewing candidates via Skype, and we say, let them have their fancy technology and their time saving electronic and automated techniques. More power to them. Our clients and candidates, however, can continue to trust That's Good HR to value relationships and we will always want to get to know you personally before we help you do something as important as changing your job.

Perception or Reality, Rain or Shine

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 by Karen Seketa

Wow...it's like Spring out there today. Funny how 34 degrees and sunny can make you almost giddy after a few weeks of braving the teens, snow and cloudy days. Not that long

ago a day in the 30's made me shiver - now I want to go for a long walk. My perception has clearly been impacted by the circumstances around me. This happens in everything that we do and sometimes it causes us to make choices without the proper clarity because we are looking at our situation through a manipulated lens. Bundling up in coat, hat, scarf and gloves a week ago was required. This morning my son ran out the door with his coat unzipped and no hat, no gloves, no scarf. It's not that cold! he yells as he heads for the bus stop. Perception based on the recent circumstances.

Continuous review of the circumstances around us and the decisions we are making about the situation at hand are critical, even when talking about the business we (That's Good HR) are in - staffing. How you interpret and react to hiring trends, Indianapolis job openings and your own job search are all impacted by current events. For example, there have been so many reports on economic and hiring trends in the media lately that leave Indianapolis staffing firms and job seekers feeling almost schizophrenic in how to react each day.

One day the message is that "Employers Expect an Uptick in Hiring" and the next week the message tries hard to remain optimistic with "Surprise Fall in Jobs does not dash Recovery hopes". Next come this week's report on Small Business challenges with access to credit and other issues going into 2010 that will affect hiring trends. Meanwhile, those who have been unemployed and working hard to find a job are simply confused about how they should feel about their options: good? bad? happy? sad? It's enough to drive even the most level headed person a little crazy because no matter what the news says, if you are still unemployed you are frustrated and your perception of the situation is based on that fact alone. It is hard not to be mad, frustrated and skeptical of the noise when your own personal situation does not change with the news.

So what do you do? You stop where you are, you consider the information at hand and you sort through what is relevant to your own personal situation and you do your very best to use it effectively. What not to do? Don't let every change in the media reports effect your perception of what is real. So, when the Freakonomics blog post in the New York Times highlights the latest study on the effect of the rain on your upcoming interview, I suggest you make the best decision for you personally rather than rushing to the phone to call and tell your potential employer that you would like to reschedule for a sunny day.

At That's Good HR, we have to wade through the flood of media updates all the time and translate all of the noise out there into what is best for our candidates and our clients at the end of the day - regardless of the weather.